Daring to Fall |18+|

01 | friday morning

NOVA

One word.

Fucker.

I had more in the inventory but I stared at Paul from across the table with nothing but a hateful glare. I hated him. I hated that place. My lips curled into disgust as I witnessed his condescending smirk widen with amusement.

I was pissed. I was upset. I was in the right mind to get into my car and wedge my boss between a wall and my bumper. Ex-boss.

Maybe I'd reverse a couple of times too.

"A Friday morning?" I asked, my voice thick and laced with annoyance.

I should have taken a computer home with me for the inconvenience of being fired before I started my shift. He couldn't have waited? He couldn't have done it the previous day?

Fuck you, I wanted to say. I wanted to cuss out loud and release months of pent up frustration. I didn't. Despite raging, Paul was my reference for other jobs. Without a good word from him, I'd never find a job in a pitiful and dreary bank ever again.

What was my life?

"I wanted to see your pretty face one last time," he muttered, chuckling as he sat down on his rustic computer chair as if it were his throne.

I always hated his laugh. It was the worst kind. The type of laugh that said 'I'm a boss and I cannot be fucked with. I do the fucking'

From across the room, I thought about how I'd never have to spend another day with the stench of his expensive cologne wafting across the small office. It was unbearable. It almost always gave me a headache.

I did a slight roll of my eyes and turned on my heel, heading to my little cubical to collect my succulents and other nick-nicks I refused to leave in the hands of the other vultures in the office.

No more stealing of my lunch.

No more unplugging my computer just to piss me off.

No more of anything.

Relieved? Yes. Hopelessly stressed about my sudden lack of paycheque every two weeks? Yes.

"Novs," he called out the awful nickname he had for me. "Don't forget."

I turned back to him, finding his elbow propped up onto his table while he waved a flimsy piece of paper around. I eyed him, wondering if the asshole was going to make me walk up to him for the money he owed me.

He nodded his head, gesturing for me to approach him and it confirmed that he was indeed as slimy as I thought he was. Taking a deep breath in, I swallowed away all sense of pride just to walk back to his desk and hold my hand out.

"Nuh-uh," he tsked, shaking his greying head. "Come around and take it from my hand, Nova."

"Really, Paul?" I asked, giving him a bored look.

Did he have a humiliation kink? Is that what it was?

"I mean," he started, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "If you want it, I think it's only fair you get it yourself. Right?"

"Set it on the table then," I said the first thing that came to mind. I didn't want to go over there. I didn't want to be close to him. Paul never touched me, but he always hovered a little too close for comfort—almost as if saying if I want to, I can.

"How rude of you," he muttered, pursing his lips in disapproval while he shook his head.

I had all the time in the world to stand there and stare at him, but my hand itched to slap the silly smirk off his face. Surely his face had to be tired by now. I bit down on my molars, feeling my chest grow tight with anger as I let my feet take me over to his side of the desk.